Raths, Raths & Johnson Inc. (RRJ), a national engineering, architecture, and forensics consulting firm, announced new additions to their engineering staff. Matthew L. Wagner, S.E., Patrick E. Reicher, S.E., REWC, REWO and Patrick Olechno, P.E. have recently joined RRJ to strategically broaden the company's technical capabilities and management of their engineering consulting services. Each brings experience in structural engineering design, forensic evaluation, and repair design of building structures and enclosures.
"We are excited to welcome these talented engineers to our forensic engineering practice," says RRJ President, Kurt Hoigard, P.E., SECB, F.ASTM. "Their well-rounded experience in both structural engineering forensics and design brings to RRJ both a depth of building knowledge in the major markets we serve and access to highly demanded technical expertise that will greatly benefit our clients."
Matthew L. Wagner, S.E. has joined RRJ as a Consulting Engineer. With over 15 years of structural design, structural assessment, peer review, and repair design experience, Wagner brings a portfolio of large-scale stadia, healthcare, hospitality, civic and aviation projects to the firm. Prior to joining RRJ, he was Manager of Structural Engineering at Ghafari Associates' Chicago office, a global architecture and engineering firm specializing in technically intensive market sectors. Previously, he was a Principal at Walter P. Moore, an international engineering consulting practice, where he led the structural design of $10-70 million dollar size projects.
Matt earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 1999 and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2001. An Illinois licensed Structural Engineer and a licensed Professional Engineer in several other states, he is an active member of the American Institute of Steel Construction, the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI), the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and the Chicago Building Congress. He is also an active member of the University of Cincinnati Alumni Association in Chicago.
Patrick E. Reicher, S.E., REWC, REWO has joined RRJ as a Senior Engineer. His career spans over 11 years specializing in forensic investigation, testing, and repair design of buildings and enclosures, and structural design for new construction and adaptive reuse projects. A skillful project manager, he has experience in all aspects of building envelope field investigations, diagnostic field testing and protocols, repair design, specification development, and construction administration. From his numerous investigations and repair programs, he has expert knowledge of masonry facades, exterior wall cladding systems, windows and curtain walls, roofing and waterproofing systems, and development of field quality control specifications for repair design programs.
Prior to joining RRJ, Patrick gained experience in forensic engineering and structural design at two consulting engineering firms in the Chicago area. He received both a Bachelor of Science in 2004 and Master of Science in 2005 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Keller Graduate School of Management in 2012. He is an Illinois licensed Structural Engineer, Registered Exterior Wall Consultant (REWC), Registered Exterior Wall Observer (REWO), Certified Construction Specifier (CCS), and Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA). He serves in leadership and committee roles in RCI, Inc. (Institute for Roofing, Waterproofing, and Building Envelope Professionals) Chicago Chapter and the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), and is a member of the Building Enclosure Council of Chicago (BEC-Chicago) and the International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI).
Patrick Olechno, P.E. has joined RRJ as an Engineer I and brings over five years of experience in structural design, evaluation, testing, and construction inspection of hydro-mechanical components for hydropower infrastructure projects, and masonry assessment, renovation, and construction. Patrick comes to RRJ from MWH Global, an international engineering company specializing in water and wastewater infrastructure design, and a specialty engineering firm and a masonry contractor involved in the renovation and adaptive reuse of residential and commercial buildings. He received both a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 2010 and and 2012, respectively. A licensed Professional Engineer in Illinois, he is a member of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the American Welding Society (AWS) and the Structural Engineers Association of Illinois (SEAOI).
